Landing-chair for mining-cages.



PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906.

G. H. DBNTON.

LANDING CHAIR FOR MINING CAGES. AEPLIGATION1:ILED FEB.24,1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Fig.1.

ITO-809,176. PATENTED JAN. 2, 1906. G. H. BENTON.

LANDING CHAIR FOR MINING GAGES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.24,1905.

2 8HEETS-SHEET 2.

M' W77 MM Winessm [/1 1 29/2602 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

LANDING-CHAIR FOR MINING-CAGES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1906.

Application filed February 24, 1905 Serial No. 247.114.

T0 ZZ whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, GILBERT HENRY DEN- TON, acitizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Landing-Chairs forMining-Cages, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to landing-chairs for mining-cages in which thechairs are pivotally appended to the cage, thus requiring but one set ofchairs to land the cage at any de sired point of landing.

The objects of my invention are to provide landing-chairs formining-cages in which there are no springs nor intricate contrivancesrequired to operate the chairs, one which can be conveniently operatedfrom the cage or from any desired point of landing that is, at thecollar of the shaft at any level of the mine or at any point between thelev- I els where it is desired toland the cageone in which there isprovided automatic means for operating the chairs at any point whereregular landings are to be made, including the collar of the shaft, alsoone in which the weight of the cage and its contents rest upon solidforgings forming the chairs and not upon pivots, as is the case withmost landingchairs heretofore invented, and one in which the chairs areplaced in an operative position and displaced from that position bysimple means or gravity.

I attain the foregoing objects by the construction illustrated in thedrawings, forming a part of this application, in which similar numeralsof reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures, and inwhich Figure 1 is an elevation of an, ordinary miningcage embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a fragmental bottom view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is anelevation of a mining-cage having my new landing-chairs attachedthereto, showing means for operating the chairs at one of the levels ina mine. Fig. 4 is a modified form of Fig. 3, showing different means forplacing the chairs in an operative position at the landing. Fig. 5 showsa cage embodying my invention and the means for operating same at thecollar of the shaft. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the platform of the cagelooking down from line a a of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a view of the chairs orforgings.

In more fully referring to the drawings,10 represents the corner postsor bars of the cage, there being in the preferred construction four ofthese bars. These posts or bars are arranged in sets of two, one set oneach side of the platform 1 1, and are secured thereto. Each set isinwardly inclinedthat is, the posts of each set are inclined toward eachother at the upper ends thereof, though the sets remain vertical, thedistance between the sets at the bottom and at the top being in thepreferred construction e ual. The upper ends of these triangularly-saped sets of posts may be secured to any suitable contrivance ofordinary construction, as I do not claim anything thereon.

12 represents central vertical posts, one of which is provided on eachside of the cage, being secured to the platform 11 and to thecontrivance at the upper end. Guide-plates 13 are secured to the centralposts 12, adapted to operate in connection with the guidebars 14, whichare placed on the sides of the shaft, as illustrated in Fig. 6 of thedrawings.

The platform 11 of the cage has a downturned flange 15. The longitudinalcrossbars 16 are adapted to be secured to the posts or bars 10 and toextend across the sides of the cage. They may also be secured to thecentral posts 12. In some instances these bars 16 may be dispensed with.

The chairs or forgings are adapted to be pivoted to the corner-bars 10.These chairs are constructed with right-angled arms 18 the chairs arepivotally hung to the cage.

The right-angled arms of the chairs extend above the point of pivot andare provided with eyes 21. I

22 represents a lever fulcrumed to one of the central posts 12. Thelever is adapted to be placed on either side of the cage, whichever willbe most convenient and practical for the shaft in which the cage is tooperate. It has a downwardly-appended part 23, forming a weightproviding means for maintaining the lever 22 in a vertical position whenso desired. Secured to the lever 22 and oppositely disposed at rightangles therefrom are arms 24, provided near their extremities withnipples 25. These arms 24 are in the preferred construction bentoutwardly, as illus- ICO trated in Figs. 2 and 6. Pivotally connectedwith these arms 24 are bars 26, which are also pivotally connected tothe upper ends of the arms of the chairs by means of the eyes in saidupper ends, (designated by 21 and hereinbefore referred to.)

It is obvious that the chairs may land in seats 27, formed by recessesin the timbers 28 of the shaft at the different levels or at any desiredpoint of landing, asillustrated in Figs. 1, 3, and 4 of the drawings.These recesses may be fprovided with plates 29, (shown in Fig. 1 o thedrawings,) which may be constructed of suitable metal and are adapted toprevent wearing the timbers in which the recesses are made. This is onemanner of constructing the landing which is adapted to bring theplatform of the cage level with the surface of the place desired toland. Another method is to land on the surfaces of the level or collarof the shaft, as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. When the cage islanded, as illustrated in Fig. 5, the track on which the tramcars areoperated may be raised in any suitable manner, so that the top of thetrack will be at grade with the top of the platform of the cage or withthe tracks placed thereon, as will be done in some instances. It iscomprehensible that there is nothing new in the construction of thecage, as my new landing-chairs can be attached to any mining-cage ofordinary construction.

- I have hereinbefore referred to the means for operating the chairs,the preferred construction ofwhich is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5 ofthe drawings, in which a lever 30 is fulcrumed to a post 31, which canbe secured to the ordinary timbers of the mine or can be placed in thedesired position at the collar of the shaft. The lever 30 is providedwith a weight 32, adapted to maintain the lever in substantially theposition illustrated by the dotted lines in Fig. 3 when it is not in useat a level in the mine. It is obvious that by retaining the lever in theposition indicated by the dotted lines will keep it out of the passage-way of the shaft, it being formed with a bend, as illustrated inFig. 6 of the drawings, adapted to place the end which will extend intothe shaft when in use to the side of the cage in the space formed by theguide-bars 14.. It is manifest that this provision places no obstructionin the way of the cage when it is being raised or lowered unless it isdesired to land it, in which event the lever can be operated and broughtto the position indicated in Fig. 3, which will bring the end extendinginto the shaft in contact with the nipples 25 on the extension-arms 24of the lever 22, and thus actuating said lever and bring it, as well asthe connecting-bars pivoted thereto, into the positionillustrated inFigs. 1, 4, and 5 of the drawings, which throws the landingchairsoutwardly and into a position which will bring them in contact with theseats provided in the recesses 27 or with the surface at the point oflanding, as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. If it is desired toestablish a regular landing-place, the lever described in the foregoingcan readily be converted into automatic means for actuating the leverand connectingrods, which in turn place landing-chairs in an operativeposition by placing a pin 33 into some substantial part of the timbers,as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Provisions for the insertionof this pin 33 may be made at any of the levels or at any point where itis desired to land the cage. The illustration of the lever in Fig. 5shows a vertical arm 34 extending upward from the lever 30, which isprovided with an eye, to which is attached a rope 35. This rope isadapted to extend to a point within convenient reach of the engineer,who can when desiring to lower the cage raiseit to a height sufficientto pass the lever. Then by means of the rope the lever can be brought tothe position indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 5, which will allowthe cage to descend, as the weight of the chairs, in connection with theweight 23, provided on the lever 22, will tend to bring the lever 22 toa vertical position and the chairs to the inoperative position, asillustrated inFig. 3 of the drawings. In the modified construction(illustrated in Fig. 4) a lever 36 is secured to the timbers of theshaft at the lower part of the level in the mine or at any point whereit is desired to land the cage. The lever is constructed with aright-angled arm at the end, as illustrated. By means of this lever 36the chair can be placed in operative position, as the right-angled armcomes in contact with the forging at one side, drawing it outward intooperative position, which movement operates the chair at the oppositeend of the cage by means of the connecting-bars 26 and the arms 24,forming a part of the lever 22, as will be made manifest in thedrawings. When this modified construction is used, the connectingbars 26are pivoted to the extension-arms 24 at different points than when thepreferred form of operating the chairs is used that is, the distancebetween the points where the said connecting-bars 26 are pivoted to thearms 24 is greater in the mo dified form. (Represented by Fig. 4.) Thischange in pivoting the said bars prevents the arms and bars fromassuming a position of dead-center essential to the operation of themodified form, inasmuch as the actuating of the chairs to place them inoperative position takes place on the lower end of the chair-forgings,as illustrated. This modified construction can also be converted intoautomatic means for placing the chairs in operative position by simplyplacing a pin above the lever, which will maintain it in positionsimilar to that shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and byplacing a weightthereon.

. as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

The operation of a mining-cage supplied with my new landing-chairs willbe in the preferred construction substantially as follows: The cage israised and lowered by any suitable means. If it is desired to land thecage at either of the levels inthe mine, levers 30 are provided in eachlevel, so that the cage may be landed either from the cage or from thelevel. If it is desired to place the chairs in operative position fromthe cage,it is doneby means of the lever 22, as hereinbefore stated. Ifit is desired to land the cage from the level or from some otherpredetermined point, where a suitable lever 30 has been provided, it isdone by simply bringing the lever 30 into substantially a horizontalposition, (illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings,) when it will come incontact with the nipples 25 on the arms24 and will place the chairs inan operative position, as shown in Fig. 1. When it is desired to have aregular landing-place at any of the levels, the lever 30 is convertedinto automatic means by placing a pin 33 above thelever, as illustratedin Fig. 5. I/Vhen this provision has been made, the cage in its descentbrings the nipples 25 in contact with the lever 30, which throws thechairs into operative position, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Whenthe cage is raised, the weight of the chairs and the additional weight23, forming a part of the lever 22, displaces the chairs from theoperative position and brings them into the inoperative position, (fullyillustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings,) permitting the cage to be raisedand lowered freely. The landing at the top or collar of the shaft isaccomplished by the means illustrated in Fig. 5, wherein the lever 30 isprovided with an upwardly-extending arm 34, to which is attached a ropeextending to the engineer or operator having charge of raising andlowering the cage. The provision of the rope is of utility, as itenables the engineer or operator to throw the lever 30 into a positionout of the way of the downward passage of the cage. When the cageascends, no attention need be given to the lever 30, as it operatesautomatically and places the chairs in the operative position as thecage descends after having been raised to the maximum height, asillustrated in Fig. 5. The chairs are displaced from the operativeposition under the action of gravity alone.

One feature of my invention that I dis tinctly emphasize is that theweight of the cage and its contents rest upon the seats of the chairswhich come in contact with the bottom of the cage at the reinforcedparts, where the angle bars forming part of the flanges 15 are rivetedto the platform 11 of the cage. The chairs rest upon metal seats 29,provided in recesses 27 in the timbers 28, or upon the surfaces of thepoints of landing, By this means perfectly substantial chairs areformed,

removing all direct strain from pivots and inferior parts, thuspreventing complications that arise from weak and defective chairsheretofore invented. In constructing the forgings and seats 17 by meansof the inward and upward bends in said forgings I accomplish a doublepurpose-that is, in addition to forming substantial seats and chairs, asabove referred to, I provide means for preventing the chairs fromswinging outwardly farther than is required to bring them into theproper position on the seats 29 in the recesses 27, as the upward bendforming the seats of said chairs comes in contact with the downturnedflange 15 of the platform. Another feature of my new landing-chairs thatI desire to specifically point out is the elongation of the apertures 19provided in the right-angled arms 18 of the chairs. This provisionallows the chairs to drop downward when the cage is raised, thusreleasing the seats 17 and the chairs from contact with the bottom ofthe platform of the cage and permitting the action of gravity, asaforesaid, to return the chairs in the, inoperative position.

The construction of my invention is such that in case the chairs come incontact with the seats 27 or with the surfaces of the landing, as shownin Fig. 5, before the chairs have swung outwardly the maximum dis tancethe downward pressure upon the chairs causing them to spread, bringingthe chairs in full operative position, as shown in Fig. 1, without anyfurther manipulation of the means for actuating the chairs.

The construction of the means for placing the chairs in the operativeposition is such that the connecting-bars and arms assume a position ofdead point or dead-center when the chairs are in the inoperativeposition, as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. This provision isanother essential feature of my invention, as it forms a rigid lock forthe chairs and prevents them from swinging outwardly when it is notdesired to land the cage.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, with themanner of constructing and applying the same, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A cage, and chairs pivotally appended to said cage, above theplatform thereof and having horizontal portions below their pivots withseats disposed beneath said platform of the cage.

2. A cage, and chairs pivotally appended to said cage with horizontalportions below their pivots, the point of pivot being above the platformthereof and a manually-operable lever pivotally connected with saidchairs above their pivots.

3. A cage, and chairs having right-angled arms provided with seats belowtheir pivots; and with elongated eyes at their pivotal sup- &

port, appended to said cage above the platform thereof by means of axialpins extending through said elongated eyes.

4. A cage, chairs pivotally attached to said cage above the platformthereof, and manually-operable means above the pivots of the chairs forplacing said chairs in an operative position.

5. A cage, and chairs pivoted to the cage above the platform appendingthe chairs below the said platform, and manuallyoper able means abovethe pivots of the chairs for actuating the same adapted to place thechairs in an operative position.

6. A cage, chairs having central raised parts forming seats and havingright-angled arms provided with elongated eyes by means of which thechairs are pivotally appended to the said cage at a point above theplatform thereof, and means for placing said chairs in the operativeposition.

7. A cage, chairs pivotally connected thereto, and having horizontalportions with seats, means for actuating said chairs comprising a leverfulcru med to said cage, arms extending from said lever, andconnecting-bars pivoted to said arms and to said chairs.

8. A cage, chairs for said cage pivoted thereto, above the platformthereof, means above the pivots of said chairs for placing said chairsin an operative position comprising the lever fulcrumed to the said cageand toggle-arms pivoted to said lever and to the said chairs, and alever secured to a substantial support adjacent to the passage-way forthe cage.

9. A cage, chairs pivotally appended to said cage from a point above theplatform thereof, said chairs having raised central parts adapted toform seats for the cage and portions to rest upon substantial parts ofthe landings; also having right-angled arms pro vided with elongatedapertures forming means for pivoting said chairs to the cage, and meansfor placing said chairs in an operative position comprising a leverfulcrumed to a central upright post of the cage, arms extending atsubstantially right angles from said lever, a downwardly-appended weightforming part of said lever, connecting-rods pivoted to said arms and tothe upper ends of the right-angled arms of the chairs, substantially asspecified.

10. A cage, and chairs pivotally appended to the cage above andindependent of the platform thereof and having portions forming seatstherefor.

11. A cage, and chairs pivotally appended to said cage above andindependent of the platform thereof and having seats below the platform.

12. A cage, and chairs having the central parts of the-main portionsraised forming seats and having right-angled arms provided with.elongated eyes; the said chairs'adapted to be appended to the cage abovethe platform thereof by means of axial pins extending through theelongated eyes in the said right-angled arms in a manner adapted tobring the seats below the, platform of the cage, and means for placingthe chairs in an operative position.

13. A cage, and chairs pivotally appended to said cage above theplatform and havingmanually-operable means extended above their pivotsand connected with said chairs by means pivotally attached directlythereto for cooperation with actuating means therefor.

14. A cage, and chairs pivotally appended to said cage, the point ofpivot being above the platform thereof integral portions of said chairshaving seats below the platform.

15. A'cage, and chairs having horizontal portions below the platform ofthe cage and right-angled arms extending upwardly therefrom, and saidhorizontal portions formed with seats appended below the platform of thecage, the said right-angled arms being pivotally attached to the postsof the cage above the platform thereof.

16. The combination of a cage, and bars having right-angled portionsextended upwardly therefrom and having loose play on pivots on the cageabove and independent of the platform of the cage, the horizontalportions of said bars being extended beneath the said platform.

. 17. The combination of a cage and bars having right-angled armsextended upwardly therefrom and horizontal portions extended beneath theplatform of the cage and their upwardly-extended portions having looseplay on pivots on the cage above the said platform, the central parts ofsaid bars being raised. 7

]S.-The combination with a cage, of supporting devices disposed belowthe platform of the cage and having upwardly-extending arms, the latterbeing pivoted above the platform of the cage and having means pivotallyconnecting said arms beyond the pivot for cooperation with actuatingmeans.

19. The combination with a cage, of supporting devices disposed belowthe platform of the cage and having upwardly-extending arms,' the latterbeing pivoted above the platform of the cage and having means beyond thepivot for cooperation with manually-operable actuating means and meansengaging means movable with said actuating means for automaticallyactuating said arms.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GILBERT HENRY BENTON.

Witnesses:

EMMA L. KEMP, EVELYN S. CALVERT.

